Career over? Chautauqua again refuses to leave the barriers

Troublesome sprinter Chautauqua has once again refused to leave the barriers in a trial at Rosehill on Tuesday morning, putting the champion's career into severe doubt.

Fairfax reported last week it understood that if the grey again refused to jump in this morning's trial, stewards may opt to stop the horse from starting again and that is what transpired.

Going nowhere: Chautauqua refusing to jump in a barrier trial at Randwick in February.Credit:Amanda Wood

The eight-year-old's refusal to leave the gates not only threatens to end his career but also a final tilt at the $13 million The Everest (1200m) at Randwick in October 13, which now seems extremely unlikely.

Stewards could now take the decision out of the owners' hands.

"If it happens again we would be in a position where we would have to do a formal inquiry and we'd have to consider whether we would allow nominations for him to be received," Racing NSW's chief steward Marc van Gestel said late last month.

"It's getting to a point where we've got to consider racing as a whole and whether it's acceptable to continue to allow the horse a chance to pass the embargo when he's showing he doesn't want to jump."